Under House Arrest
by mened
Summary: The best story ever in Russian Internet is now in English. You are welcome. Please, meet our Bella who forced to return to the town she hates with all her heart, where she meets Edward who has found peace there but at what price... Rough start, is there a happy ending? Let's find together. The author is Olga Pozhidaeva. The translator is Igor Chaykin
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

BPOV

"Welcome to Forks!" read a sign on the highway. I sneered. Yeah, so many good things in this fucking town. This town is my personal Golgotha. This town is like my mini-hell. Bang-your-head-against-the-wall-Bella-Swan town. Up to fourteen, I would spend every summer with my father here. No, he was ok. And, it seemed, he was worried when, during the violent period of youthful maximalism, I threw a fit. My mother came to pick me up.

"This is my last summer in this fucking Forks!" I yelled a decade ago.

"But, Bells, I do not understand what's the problem?" Charlie was frustrated, defeated.

"My dear, did someone hurt you?" my mom was trying to find out what happened.

I sulked for a long time, and clenched my teeth, before hissing in reply:

"I'm just sick and tired with fucking country life. And we are not going to discuss it."

Since then, Charlie would come and take me from California for two weeks. Then there were the occasional calls from my college, uncomfortable family dinners at mom's house, and two Easters which I talked myself in to spend in Forks. No Smith, no James, no intimidation...

Having vaguely remembered the way to the only motel in town, I parked the car in the parking lot. After having dragged the suitcase in these "luxury" apartments, I plumped in the bed. Ok, first off in the shower. Wow! It is quite clear here. Ok, what about now?.. Just sit and wait for tomorrow's nightmare? I'm not sleepy. My nerves are as tight as a string on a guitar. I need a drink. I need to relax. I called the taxi. "Take me to the nearest decent bar" - I commanded. The driver chuckled: "You're not from around here, are you? In Forks there is only one bar, with the exception of fast food joints." Oh, God, why are you so cruel to me? Five minutes later I dragged myself out of the car. Neon sign reads: "Billy's." How original, dammit. I came inside and was like, what the fuck?.. No, I understand - this is not L.A., where people party 24/7... But this place is empty! Thursday, eight in the evening - and not a soul. Shoot me - It is unbearable.

An old bartender with a colorful Indian looks turned at the sound of the slammed door. He nodded pleasantly, and smiled. There you go. I feel I will be talking to him. Shit, will I be lucky, at least for once, in this fucking countryside? The heavens seemed to hear my thoughts. I was still stamping around at the entrance, not daring to go to the counter, as the door hit my ass hard.

"Ouch, shit!" I yelled, trying to keep my balance. With my crappy coordination it is rather difficult to stay on my feet, especially when receiving this kind of acceleration... And a suddenly appeared strong hand, that tightly gripped my elbow, was part of this miracle.

"It's ok, I got you," low voice touched my ears as music.

"And now let go of me - and it will be even better," I snapped, turning around. In vain... I nearly sank to the floor, when I met these emerald eyes which belonged to my "savior" and the second visitor to the only bar in Forks. Beautiful enormous eyes, can you believe it?.. I proudly pulled out my elbow from his grasp, and to the accompaniment of three mocking laughs behind his back, I went to the bar counter. "Asshole" - I muttered, getting on a high chair.

"Hi," I croaked to the bartender, looking out of the corner of my eyes. My "savior" was slowly approaching the counter, ruffling the hair by his hand.

"Good evening, Miss," I was greeted by the man behind the counter.

"Hello to you too, Billy ," sang the "savior", getting on the seat next to me. I pretended that he was not there.

"Edward, it is extremely rude of you to try to kill my only guest," Billy said, giggling.

"What? I don't qualify for the guest tonight?" said the "savior" offended.

"Seriously, Cullen, I intend to make an official complaint against you. And you're not a guest here for a long time - you are regular here." I definitely like Billy.

"You can complain about your health, but I have heard that the local police chief was a real asshole. Hey, be careful with him," Edward warned him. Edward? I already call him by his name? Way to go, Bella, maybe you even ask him out on a date? And why not? He is kinda hot. I squinted again to confirm my first fears about his appearance.

Tall, unkempt, with disheveled bronze curls, sensuous mouth and chiselled cheekbones which are covered in the two-day stubble. And the fucking eyes of a cat's in the middle of March... Turn around, do not look! He hit you with the door. "Asshole" - I muttered under my breath again.

"Did you say something?" Billy asked me.

"I said - It's a bar? You suppose to pour me a drink here, right?" Why the hell am I so angry? Oh yes, I'm in Forks.

"Of course, Miss, what would you like after a long drive?"

My jaw dropped. And Billy and Edward began laughing. Fucking fuck, Edward again! Rrr... whatever his name?

"Sweetheart, I live here all my life, and I see you for the first time here," the bartender said to my stupid self. "Beer?"

"It would be great," I bared my teeth.

"Make it two, Billy, it's on me." Mr. Green Eyes put in his five cents.

I just snorted. Well, what would I do? Cold comfort to my ass, a bit in the morning is better than nothing all day.

"By the way, I'm Edward, Edward Cullen... I apologize, about this all door situation," and he held out his hand. Pretty official, I thought.

"By the way, I'm Bella, Bella Swan. Apologies accepted... for the first time." I shook his hand and kissed the glass, which was very timely raised before me. I took a sip. And almost spit it all out when I heard:

"Isabella?" Billy's voice was so... stunned or something.

"Just Bella, if you do not mind," I corrected him right away.

"Wow, you are a grown-up now..." Muttered the bartender.

"Swan?" Cullen butted in again (it is definitely easier to call him by his last name!), talking to Billy for some reason. "Is it her?.."

"Charlie's daughter," said Billy, not taking off his loving, checking out sight from me.

"Damn!" I swore, realizing that now Cullen was piercing me with his eyes.

"Don't you remember me, sweetheart,..." Sadly said the bartender. "I am Billy Black...''

"Oh..." I did not really remember him, but I knew who he was. "I believe I was three years old back then, Mr. Black..."

"Just Billy, call me Billy," great, just don't tell me that he is going to cry. I squirmed in my chair.

"Bella, maybe you and I will wait for our order at the table?" Cullen suggested. So jauntily.

"Yes, we can do that," I quickly jumped from my chair. "But I did not order anything yet..."

"As usual, Billy, two, please." Edward picked up our glasses and went to the sofa in the cozy dark corner of the room.

I plopped down at a table, and with three sips I drank half of my glass. Cullen, having sat in front of me, hemmed, making me want to strangle him right away. This crappy town where they don't know me in person, but they do know my name. Sooooo funny! "Twice a savior" stared at me with a crooked grin. Well at least he no longer hemmed. I banged off "ta-da-da-dum" with my fingers on the table, took another sip from a glass and blurted out with arrogant face:

"Stop staring at me! What? Did I piss in your swimming pool when I was a child or something?"

Cullen laughed, he reached into his jacket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and tapped one out. Oh, smoking, what a great idea! It is definitely better than hit me on the butt with the door. Plus he's a stud. A stud? Where does this word come from? From the 80's?

"Pool of my childhood, fortunately, was far away from Forks." Edward lit up his cigarette, disapprovingly watching a cigarette I stole from him.

I shoved this nicotine stick in his mouth, baldly waiting for a gentleman to offer a lady some fire. The gentleman was in no hurry. Jerk!

"So you're Isabella Swan," he identified my background.

"Exactly," I mumbled, chewing an unlit cigarette. "What? You're not from around here or something?"

"I moved here two years ago." Edward mockingly turned the lighter between his fingers. Fuck me, what fingers!.. Even spaghetti is shorter.

"My condolences," I said, not taking my eyes off his manipulation with the lighter. "Can I get some light here!"

I leaned forward to take away his cigarette lighter, but he stood up right away to bring this burning flame to my face. We cracked our heads together like mountain rams.

"Shit!"

"Fuck!"

We yelled simultaneously. I blinked my eyes, drastically rose from the table, and pulled out a lighter from Cullen's hands, lit up a cigarette, and went back to my seat.

"It was a crappy maneuver," I have stated, watching as Edward rubs his forehead.

"I agree," he slowly moved a cigarette lighter to the middle of the table. We laughed, and clinked glasses. "Let's drink to our acquaintance, Miss Swan."

"Well, why the hell you moved in this god-forsaken Forks, Edward Cullen?" I decided to start a nice conversation.

"Well I got this very interesting job offer," he answered vaguely. "What about you? Have you decided to return to your hometown?"

I laughed again. Back in Forks? Not a chance in hell!

"I'm just here on business." I answered in the same vague manner.

"Let me guess! The reading of the will of James Smith senior, right?" Edward moved his eyebrows, reveling in my astonishment, and sank a crooked grin in his glass.

"Fucking Forks..." I muttered, and took a sip too.

There was a pause. I was finishing a cigarette in silence, smiling sadly. That's fucked up! Well, what you gotta do? Here, this news will be discussed for a year. A local moneybags died. After the death of my father in service - it is probably the first global event here. God, I wish I could find out what I got as soon as possible, and slip away from here! I again kissed the beer, emptying my glass.

"Hey, don't get too much of that stuff - you are going to get drunk." Edward's voice brought me back to reality from my thinking.

"Billy!" I waved to the bartender. "Another round!"

The Indian came up after a minute with steaks and beer. He halted a little, as if he wanted to say something, but only gave Edward a strange look, as if trying to say "look after her." Edward blinked a little bit in return.

"Ok, do not even start!" I was cutting the meat, not looking at my interlocutor.

"I think your dad would be shocked."

No! You should not start about my father!

"Listen, Cullen, I'm a grown woman! My Dad..." My voice broke off and I began trembling. "Charlie was in shock from what I say and do for his entire life. So this would not disappoint him."

Edward raised his eyebrows and took up a steak. He is strange. He hit me with the door, bought me some beer, dragged from Billy and now cares that I would not get drunk and wouldn't shock my father in heaven. Is he going to fuck me or what?

"Did you know him?" I do not know why I asked that...

"Chief Swan? No... But I've heard a lot about him," said Edward. "Forks... you know."

He grinned.

"I do." I nodded. "I guess, you also heard about his bitch daughter who abandoned her Daddy?" I once again pulled a cigarette, and lit it myself.

"Well, I personally prefer to know a person before hanging a label on their personality."

From this phrase there was a minute collapse in my brain, blurred by the pint of beer on an empty stomach.

"Nice, thanks, I'm touched. You're cute, you know that?" I mumbled defectively.

Edward laughed again.

"Thank you," he swallowed thickly and cleared his throat. "After the second glass I would look even handsome to you."

"It is possible..." I zealously kissed the beer.

Cullen laughed again. We were enthusiastically chewing, and exchanging small replicas. When I got up from the table, I was swayed, and my heels seemed to me not as stable as they were in the morning. Looking around for a second at almost an empty glass, and Cullen, who really began looking like the god of sex, I marched towards the restrooms, saying to Billy on my way:

"Another round of beer, please."

In the toilet, I was giggling like a fool for no reason, and on my way out, I crashed into a broad, hard chest.

"Bella!" Said male bass. I lifted my head up almost to the ceiling in order to identify the person who has identified me.

"Ahh... hey... handsome, but I do not know you."

My body suddenly was thrown side to side. I would have simply fallen on my side, but the guy caught me.

"Oh, I'm so clumsy, sorry, thank you... Please, excuse me," I was delirious. "It's awful, but I do not know you."

"Oh, well, you are wasted! I'm Jacob, Jacob Black, Billy's son. Do you remember when we were kinds we made..."

"Dirt-pies!" I screamed and hung around the neck of this big guy. "Jake! You're so buff now."

I shoved my fist into his chest and howled with pain. The guy laughed. Why is everybody laughing at me?

In my childhood, when Rene was still with Charlie, and we were knee-high to a grasshopper, we would pee in the same pot. It is a pity that Charlie had a row with Billy after he divorced my mother. We stopped visiting the Blacks. There was not as "fun", as at the Smiths', but peacefully.

Holding my waist, Jake took my drunk body to the table.

"Hey, Cullen! It's Jake! I almost do not remember him, can you believe it!" I yelled so the whole bar could hear it.

"Bella, come on, I'll take you home." Mr. Black Jr. ruined my fun.

"Home?" I almost died from laughter, falling on the sofa. "My home is soooooooooo far away. And it is too early to go home!"

Again I stole a cigarette from Cullen, who somehow suddenly stiffened and became quiet.

"Bella," Jacob leaned toward me and, apparently, was going to insist...

"Jacob, she does not want to go home. Or do you have trouble hearing?" Edward stood up from the sofa.

"Why the fuck did you get her so drunk, Cullen?" My dirt-pies associate rushed at him.

"It was not him! It was me!" I tried to rebel.

"Bella, for God's sake, you're hammered, you will not even have time to blink, as he fucks you in the back seat."

"Watch your language, your brat!" Edward grabbed Jake by the sides of his shirt and shook him. With the corner of my eye I saw Billy hurrying to our table. My internal resources kicked in after the word "hammered" and I became sober after the word "fuck."

"Hey guys, easy, quit fooling around," interrupted Billy. Edward let go of Jake.

I got up and said clearly:

"Jacob, I do not need you to watch over me. Cullen and I will figure out who fucks who and where, okay?" I was standing and looking at both members of the Black family. Why they don't let me to relax? Get wasted quietly... Why should I always keep myself in good shape in this town? Why everybody cares so much about me here? We do not even relatives...

"Bella, I'm sorry, go on, have fun," Billy pushed his son toward the counter. "Edward..."

Again they exchanged eloquent glances. Apparently, it is not the first time for Jake to argue with Cullen.

"No problem." I flopped back onto the sofa, kissing the glass. "Good people, huh?! Skedaddle out of here, Eddie. This is not a city, but a rat hole..."

"Edward, if you do not mind," he corrected me.

"I don't, baby. How can I be, "handsome, after a second glass?" I shook my head and spread my hands.

"To be honest with you, I like Forks." Cullen said suddenly too seriously.

"Go away. Shoo! Away from my eyes, traitor!"

"I'm serious..."

"Oh, well, you seem to be local Casanova here... maybe that's why..." I began thinking, but Cullen interrupted me.

"I am a local conscience," he chuckled. "And I would agree with Jake, you need to go home."

"Another glass - and I'm going..." I promised.

"You can not drive in such a condition."

"What are you a cop?" I whispered these words, leaning across the table.

"I'm better!" Edward gave me a long piercing look.

Having let go of the newly acquired self-control, I ruffled his hair, and fell on the sofa, laughing. No, they're both right, this is the last glass. Otherwise, I would drag this cutie to the toilet and fuck him - in Jake's joy. I'm in the town on business. Casual acquaintance - nothing more. I should not communicate with the men from Forks. The rule I learned ten years ago. Although he is not local... And anyway... ooooo, Swan, you really plastered. A glass was empty, the plate was too. I have to go to my motel, otherwise I would not be able to find my mind, no matter how hard I try.

"Okay, Edward, thanks for the company, it seems that I really have to..." I got up and flopped back on the sofa again. Well, I will definitely get up on second attempt.

"Sit down, I'll call the taxi," Cullen said to me.

Damn, he is so nice... Well, how can you not fuck this tasty and careful dude?.. Edward stood up and casually, almost waddling, went to the bar counter. Fuck me, what an ass!

EPOV

Jake was standing behind the counter. I was sick and tired of his eternal "I-am-always-watching-you-Cullen" look! A boy imagined himself to be the guardian of morality, the savior of the broken and beaten. Yesterday he shaved for the first time, and today he waving his swords. Bella is right, everybody is nuts here... Bella. Bella Swan. What a crappy pattern? I should have grabbed and fucked her even before she came. But I'm polite, educated, my mother is proud of me. I am a hostage of the "acquaintance-drink-talk, and then, maybe I get lucky" stereotype. I almost always get lucky, though. Bur not in Forks. Here to have an affair is the same as to put your bed in the main square.

I didn't spend an hour with Bella, and this angry wolf came on. No, don't even dream, Cullen to sleep with the daughter of the late police chief - this is crazy.

"Jacob, would you please call us a taxi," I deliberately tried to piss him off by being polite. Just as he was deliberately staring angrily at me.

"Cullen, just dare..." He almost growled at me. What an irresponsible child. That's exactly him who should be burning his testosterone into the arms of young girls, but not playing these war games.

"Chill, man," I interrupted him. Black shut his mouth. I represented how he would be calling hotel reception, asking Mrs. Webber to spy on us after we leave. Oh, maybe I already have a persecution complex? No, judging from the important looks of this boy, he will definitely do so. Jake called us a taxi, and I, after looking at the bill, counted out few bills.

"Hey, boys!" Bella seemed to materialize out of thin air, familiarly putting her arms around my shoulders. - I barely suppressed a shiver. Too close... "How much do I owe you?"

"You, Miss Swan, owe me a smile and a promise not to drink on an empty stomach." I gave her checking out look... Damn... Unbearably close... Her eyes are a warm chocolate. Her lips are half-open, stretched into a smile.

"You know, Cullen, then I would have to fuck you," she licked her lips, and I choked on the air in my lungs. No, she is really a bitch. Jake will now have a nervous breakdown.

"Bella, it is unlikely you would be able to fuck even yourself in this state. Let's go." I discarded her and shouted, knowing that I would be heard in the kitchen: "Billy, I'll see you around, man!"

The Indian immediately came up to kitchen door.

"Edward," he pierced me with his telling look again. I closed my eyes again, letting him know: I will take this drunken Madame to bed, but will not stay there myself. Billy and I, we always understood each other. Somehow, he believed me, but not some idle gossip. "Bella, it was nice to see you, my dear. Come at any time."

"No problem, Billy. I will. Jake," she continued hanging on me, sending a kiss to both Blacks. I led her to the exit, feeling cheerful conversation to come in the taxi.

"Oh, chief, did you have a good time?" Fantastic... Tyler Crowley... Although it could have been worse.

"Chief?" Bella giggled. "What? Are you some kind of boss of the taxi drivers or something? Chef! Chief..."

She repeated "chief" about five hundred times with a different intonation, grunting from the inappropriate fun. I caught Tyler's look in the mirror, rolled my eyes, and got a smile and a nod in response.

"To the Webbers, Tyler," I said.

Bella caught on a strange name and all the way proved that she wasn't going to the Webbers, but to the motel. Crowley and I just giggled. Having pulled over, Tyler immediately announced the fee, and was very surprised when I asked to wait for me.

Having dragged Bella from the car, I again almost dragged her on myself to the motel.

"Which room?"

"Fifth..." She waved her hand toward the individual rooms. Thanks God, we will not have to go through the reception. We stopped at the door with number five on it.

"Well, how are you feeling? You alright?" I was clutching her fragile shoulders, not allowing the alcoholic pendulum swinging her.

"Edward... you..." She looked at me with eyes where I could see betrayal, shame, and uncertainty. Hmm, ten minutes ago, this monkey stated that she would fuck me... "Please, I need you... I am drunk, but... I want..."

"Gosh, Bella, what are you talking about?" I could not believe her. Well, couldn't she fall in love with me at first sight? Attraction - yes... But this "I need you..." is too much.

"Hold on! Wait," she fumbled in her purse, and shoved the key in my hand. "Open up, please. I could not get the key into the hole."

I snickered on myself. Having put key in the lock, I turned it. Then I pushed the door forward and held the sloshed girl into the room.

"Thank you, wait, one more thing..." She was sitting on the bed. I knew that as soon as I close the door on the other side, Bella would simply fall down on the mattress and pass out. But again, she was furiously fumbling in the purse. "Stand still for a moment... Here!"

I stared at the phone which she shoved into my hands. What? She wants my phone number? It is silly, of course, she will go away, but... Why not?

"Can you set the alarm clock for nine, please? I do not see anything."

Fuck! Is she kidding me?! I pressed phone buttons violently, and, after selecting the fire sirens howling signal as the alarm clock ringtone, and managed to calm myself down. The morning will be good.

"Thank you, Cullen, you're cutie," she murmured, and fell on the bed.

I ruffled my hair with my hand. There you go Bella Swan! Hmm, chief, she got you, she got you real good. I took off Bella's shoes, pulled up her legs, hanging over the bed, and covered her with a blanket. Bella immediately curled into a ball, having put the fist under her cheek. I could not resist, I reached out to touch her soft lips... My cell phone went off in the pocket. Crowley...

"Hey, chief, what, am I going to stick here all night? If you're still lucky then..."

"I'm coming," I cut Tyler off.

After looking at Bella for the last time, I left her room.

"Home?" Asked the driver.

"Yes... Although, no wait..." What am I gonna do at home? "Let's go back to Billy's."

I will pester Jake with my presence, and listen to Quileute'slegends... And then, later I will take a walk to my home on the quiet night streets. You love Forks, Cullen, don't you?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

**BPOV**

Fiiiiiiiiiiiire! Fiiiiiiiiiiiire! I jumped out of the bed and started rushing back and forth in the room. The siren wailed somewhere nearby. Having knocked the chair over, I tripped over my own shoes and, of course, stretched out on the floor. Great! With my forehead on the carpet, I tried to bring my thoughts into order.

"It's not a fire, but the alarm clock on my phone. What the fuck? I always had Elvis ringtone for these purposes."

"I slept in the clothes. Fucking lush."

"But who took off my shoes? Cullen?!"

"Shit..."

"Shit!"

"Shiiiiiiiiiit!"

"And he didn't even fuck me."

"Jerk-off."

"Or he did, but I do not remember... Yeah right, and then he dressed me up."

"In two hours I had to be at the Smiths'. God, give me strength..."

Having risen from the floor, I walked up to the shower, and ordered breakfast in the room. Cute girl of my age put a tray with toasts, scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee on the table. It seemed that this was the owners' daughter. The only advantage of rural motels is delicious homemade food.

After eating the breakfast, I opened my suitcase up. There was this rigorous three-piece suit, neatly folded at the bottom; I chose it specifically for this trip. On top there were shorts, V-neck sweater, lamb fur jacket, and high heel boots with a stable heel. On the way back I was going to visit my friend from college. And party in the company of Rosalie Hale on the Portland's dance floor. These things were listed on top in my anti-Forks-depressants list.

What the heck? To hell with these formalities. Having left the suit at the bottom of the bag, I put on a glamorous outfit. No long boots, it's too much. Shoes are also will do. And a make-up little brighter than the day one.

I looked at myself in the mirror. Damn, it's even better. Stylish chick, a little frivolous, that doesn't give a damn about you, ladies and gentlemen with a rare last name Smith. If you're expecting demure Bells with her tongue up her ass, get a time machine.

Sitting in the taxi, I nervously smoked a second cigarette in a row. Actually, I do not smoke, but the taut nerves required soothing action of tobacco. They say that nicotine, on the contrary, excites the mind, but it is the process that calms me down. You know, inhaling-exhaling…

The Smith's House –located out of town – was a pretentious mansion with turrets in the Baroque style, with a huge landscaped garden which would more suit the definition of the park. I hate it... But today, I should feel free to look in to all the eyes of all of my demons. Demon. Devil. Satan. James Smith, Jr.. You have no power over me. I will not let you do it anymore... I can! I am able.

"Bella!" Charlotte was almost running towards me. "What an outfit!"

An old housekeeper was always kind to me, as well as her husband Peter, who served as the Smith's gardener. I have often escaped from James intimidation in the kitchen. It is a pity that the then modesty of mine would not let me hang around with Charlotte, keep getting in her way all day long.

"Charlotte" I drowned in her warm embrace, and immediately felt better, more confident.

"Oh, my god, honey, you smoke?!..."

"That was the taxi driver, he was smoking all the way" I lied with a view of a caught schoolgirl.

"Well, yes, of course" Charlotte smiled, hugging my shoulders. "Come, everybody is waiting for you."

Under the lamentations of my adult life and beautiful appearance we entered into the Smith's Senior room. Peter and several unfamiliar to me people were already there. And, of course, James. He looked defiantly at my uncovered legs. I shivered. Pete stood up and hugged me.

"Welcome home, sweetheart" he smiled. I forced a smile, to please him.

"Hello, Peter," I politely said to others in the room, "Gentlemen, James..."

Gentlemen nodded to me, and this bastard only grinned vilely. Well, if this thing is going to be this way, I will make it through.

"Miss Swan, please be seated and let's begin, perhaps," skinny guy, that was at the head of the table, asked me. I nodded and sat down in a chair next to Charlotte and was all ready to listen.

The will announcement procedure lasted longer than I expected. Prim guys in Armani suits were Board of Directors of the corporation headed by Smith. Suppressing a yawn, I listened to the buzzing attorney, disclosing which assets go to whom. It is worth noting that at that time James looked inflated and tense. It seems that Dad passed him over with the will. It is not surprising. Even at the funeral of Charlie, Charlotte told me that this petty asshole became a drug addict, and got himself in debt to his dealers. My father has stopped pretending that everything was normal, and isolated him from the gravy train, closing all of his credit cards. James himself was actually nobody, and he lived off his girlfriend Victoria somewhere in Seattle.

From the said, I realized that a majority stake was divided equally among the members of the board, and all other things: real estate, cars, boats, private jet, bonds and money – James Sr. donated to several charities. Very funny, dude. Charlotte and Pete got a small cottage on the coast of La Push Beach. I smiled at them. It seems that Smith was a very fair guy, and especially after his death, he became one...

"My son James Aaron Smith gets the house in which he grew up, and 10% of Growth Stocks shares, hoping that you can finally learn how to make money, not just spend it..."

"Are you kidding me, John? A house and some shares?! Are you for real?" disadvantaged son exploded with anger.

"This is the will of your father, James, I'm just voicing his last wish" dispassionately, said the lawyer. "By the way, he left a letter for you..."

"Fuck you..." James dashed out of the office. I pressed my lips together to keep myself from laughing. There you go, surprise, asshole?!

"Well, that means only you left, Miss Swan," the lawyer told me, putting James's letter back into the thick folder. "To Isabella Marie Swan I leave the house which belonged to her father..."

I opened my mouth. I hated James Smith during these two long years exactly for this. He did a good job pretending to be my dad's friend, and after his death, he just made public a bunch of Charlie's IOUs. Poker is a terrible thing, if you cannot stop. But it's even worse when your best friend does not want to stop you. My mother and I had no choice but to give Smith the Swan's House – the only property of my father. And now... Why then?..

"…But on one condition," oh, well, of course, the condition. "During the year, you are obliged to live in this house all the time. Only then this real estate will go into your permanent ownership. If you do not follow the conditions, the house will automatically go into the possession of my son James."

I seemed to be punched in the stomach. I sat with a waxy face, glass eyes and an opened mouth.

"Miss Swan, do you understand the conditions of inheritance?" asked me attorney who voiced the last will of the deceased.

I nodded and shook my head at the same time.

"You can come to my office in Port Angeles later. We can talk about everything privately" he once again reached into the folder. "And there is a letter for you too from Mr. Smith."

I reached out with a trembling hand, putting an envelope in my purse. What the hell does all this mean? People began going away, but I still sat in a chair, not understanding all this. "What the hell does all this mean?" stuck in my head...

"Miss Swan" attorney handed me his business card. "Please feel free to call me..."

I nodded...

"Bella, let's go to the kitchen, and have some tea." Charlotte squeezed my hand.

"Yes, ok" I replied and followed behind her.

I sat at a table with Charlotte and Peter all day. I ate and drank tea. The primary shock has passed, but my head was buzzing, not wanting to receive and analyze all this information. What the hell does all this mean?

"I'm sure he did it with some meaning," said Charlotte.

"Smith was very sentimental recently, he knew he was dying and brought his affairs in order," Pete backed her up.

"I do not understand shit" I kept saying the same thing, like a wound up.

I realized that it was evening, just when Charlotte got up to turn the lights on. I have to go to a motel, to think about all this... And tomorrow, I call an attorney and find out what all this means exactly from the legal point of view. I asked for the phone to call a taxi. Charlotte insisted that I stayed over the night in the house – noooooooo way... Pete offered to take me to my motel, but I already dialed the number.

They both hugged me near the forged grill gates, and made me promise to come visit them. I vaguely muttered that I would and jumped into the car. The driver started off, and I suddenly remembered about the letter. Having taken out an envelope, I tore it open and read the last words of my father's best friend.

"_My dear Bella!_

_I know that you hated me all these two years. Or maybe even longer. I admit that I did a horrible thing, forcing you and your mother to give me the house in exchange for Charlie's IOUs. I was angry at you, and at Rene. I blamed you for the death of my best friend, who I thought died just because there were no you two in his life. Now, I realize that I was mad at myself because I could not become something more for him than just a friend, and a guy who played poker with him. I loved your father as a brother. _

_I know what happened when you were fourteen. I understand why you stopped spending the summers in Forks. Sam Uley told me all, but I did not believe it. I did not have the strength to admit that my own son was a monster. Time has shown that he was. I'm sorry, dear. I am so guilty before you, before Charlie. I leave you the Swan's house on the condition, if you live in it during a year. You will be able to sell or lease it later. But I hope that during this time you'll be able to love Forks at least half of how your father loved it. _

_You can call me a coon, old asshole and you will be right, when you learn that your failure to comply with this condition will make this house go to James._

_I hope this will be an additional incentive for you. Please do this for Charlie. I wish you all the best. You have suffered enough already._

_Forgive me if you can, sweetheart. _

_James Michael Smith"_

I gasped for air. Outside! I urgently need to get out!

"Stop here" I shouted to the driver.

"But we have not yet arrived."

I shoved a bill in his hand and hurried to get out.

"Miss, are you all right?" how thoughtful.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I waved my hand, letting him go. "I just want to walk and get some fresh air."

"Whatever floats your boat" he said and drove off...

I stood there, leaning on a lamppost to keep me from falling. My legs gave way. Stooping, I frantically groped a cigarette in the bag and lit it.

"How much, babe?" I heard a voice from the car which pulled over beside me.

"You couldn't afford it" I blurted out, inhaling the cigarette.

The guy came out of the car and stood next to me.

"And what if you only gently lick it?" he purred.

I raised my eyes from his boots, and straightened up. What the fuck! What a bruiser. Probably I have completely lost my instinct of self-preservation due to shock because without thinking I blurted out:

"Well, if your dick is as subtle as your humor, then fifty bucks will do... Booya..."

He immediately put me in an arm lock and clicked with handcuffs on my wrists.

"Forks Police, you are under arrest ..." the bruiser poked my nose with a cop badge.

"Asshole, I was joking! I'm not going anywhere!" I yelled, while this big guy was skillfully shoving me in the back seat of the car.

"Yeah right, jokester. Will figure it out in the precinct. And it would be better if you have had some kind of ID on you" he got behind the wheel, grinning in the mirror.

Damn ... I left my driver's license in another bag. Why the hell I dressed up this way…

We got to the precinct in no time. My teeth were cramped in frustration. Oh crap, they gonna put me in the slammer. The daughter of the police chief... In his own precinct. Lord, this is some kind of slapstick. I barely had time to recover and figure out what to do, and the big guy already dragged me inside...

"Damn, this is nonsense, let go of me! I'm Bella Swan, dammit!" I hissed, losing my voice in frustration.

"Really? And I am Santa Claus..."

"You, fucking dumbass..." I screamed...

"Take it easy, baby" he pulled my hand, dragging me down the corridor.

I raised my head so that I could see the eyes of this asshole, and to express that he would regret, and then I saw... Oh, my God! Thank you! My "savior" was standing near the coffee machine, waiting for his coffee. Please save me for the third time!

"He knows me!" I yelled, meeting the glance of his emerald eyes. "Cullen! Cullen! Edward!"

**EPOV**

Friday. Evening. I am stuck in front of the computer, entering last month's statistics. I was not happy with regular reports, and I sent up a bunch of extra information: charts, graphs, correlation with the data of neighboring towns. I was kind of showing off, having nothing else to do, I had this reputation of an intellectual. I enjoyed it. All the more so, every Friday I would stay up late in the precinct. I would be happy to spend this time at Billy's, but Friday was the day when the reservation guys hung out at the bar. I had no desire to run into Lea whatsoever. So, at the end of the week, I would steadily and methodically torture myself with work in my office.

Stretching out in the chair, I decided to stretch my legs. I thought I should get a coffee and smoke a cigarette. Looking at the way machine was buzzing, I gently rocked myself to and fro, stretching my limbs. Somebody slammed the door. Who the hell is that at this late hour?

"You, fucking dumbass..." I heard very familiar voice with a touch of hysteria.

"Take it easy, baby," menacing Emmett's bass.

I turned my head to the sound and met the frightened eyes of Bella Swan. Emmett pulled her down the hall toward the pre-trial detention rooms. What the hell is going on here?

"He knows me!" Bella screamed. "Cullen! Cullen! Edward!"

I crossed the waiting room with big steps, overtaking them. Emmett stopped, but was still holding Bella's elbow hard. My eyes popped out when I saw that her hands were shackled in steel bracelets.

"Emmett, what the hell are you doing?" I cried.

"I got this hooker, she seems to be not from around here. And no ID on her. That's all," McCarthy reported.

"You dillweed," Bella was trying to pull her hand out. "Cullen, for God's sake, tell him!"

She was bristling up, but her eyes just stuck with me, begging for salvation, filled with tears.

"Emmett, take off the handcuffs from Miss Swan's hands immediately!" I ordered with icily boss' voice. "You are mistaken."

"Mistaken – this is an understatement." Bella growled at him again.

There appeared a display of the torment of mental activity on Emmett's face. I looked askance at him. He reached into his pocket for the key:

"Is it true, she's Bella Swan?" Emmett said looking like a beaten dog.

I nodded. As soon as Bella's hands were free, she jumped on Emmett, punching his chest with her small fists.

"You stubborn douchebag! Stupid beefcake!" She screamed.

"Bella, Bella, enough" I put my arms around her, and dragged her to the office. "Calm down! It's alright. He was wrong! Ok! Settle down!"

"He should sell his car, and buy some brains, stupi..." she became silent abruptly, seeing a sign on the door saying: "Edward Cullen. Chief of the Police Department." I pushed her inside the office and shut the door.

"You!" Bella jabbed her finger at me. Damn, well, now I am going to get it – both for Emmett, and for all that was wrong with her today. "You are the chief?!"

"Yes" simply answered I.

She kept poking me with her trembling finger. Her nostrils were flaring, her lips were compressed, and then the tears made their sudden appearance, running down her cheeks, and leaving wet tracks on them.

"You're the chief! My God!" She was literally shaking and sobbing.

I sat her down on the couch, stroking her back, trying to comfort her. Bella leaned her head on my shoulder, and stopped crying. I, emboldened, put my arm around her shoulder.

"You scared?" I asked quietly.

She nodded, sniffing.

"Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?" Her tear-stained eyes gave me this piercing, mute reproach.

"I do not know" I shrugged. "I just wanted to chat with a pretty girl. Without titles, and other crap."

"I see." Bella wiped her eyes with fists, and got up.

"No, stay here, I'll bring something hot to calm your nerves down" I asked her, getting up. "And check out on Emmett."

She pulled a wry face. McCarthy was standing in the waiting room and was baldly sipping my coffee, talking to the orderly officer.

"Edward, I ..." he began talking after he saw me near the vending machine...

"Come on, Em. Go home" I did not want to talk to him at that moment.

"Chief, but you saw the way she was dressed. Anyone in my place..." He began making excuses.

"Emmett, please" I cut him off again.

"How do you even know her?"

"I met her yesterday at Billy's" I explained.

"I see... I'm sorry, boss, I screwed up" he was staring at his shoes. I chuckled, marveling at how such a big guy manages to looks like a naughty kitten.

"You should apologize to Bella" I picked up a glass of chamomile tea and went back to the office.

Bella turned her back to me, she was standing looking at the wall with my diplomas.

"Eaton University without attending classes. Honorary academy graduate. Impressive," she said in a flat, colorless voice, without turning around. "Well, what the hell are you doing in Forks with all that stuff?"

"It's a long story. Drink your tea!" I put the tea on the table and sat down in my chair.

Bella sat down on the other side of the chair, clutching a warm cup with her palms.

"Crappy day, huh?" I asked, noticing that she was hovering somewhere far away.

"It's a long story" Bella sneered in reply. "Or is it an interrogation?"

I shivered from her antics:

"What? Are you annoyed with this?" She looked at me in amazement. "You think I'm in the wrong place?"

"It's just weird to see somebody else but Charlie in this chair..." she answered quietly. "And I'm not the one to judge about someone being in the wrong place... But..."

"But?.." I wanted to know her opinion.

"I think you deserve more" Bella looked me straight in the eye.

I grinned. Oh, baby, sometimes the best is the enemy of the good. I feel alright here. But I'm certainly not going to tell you the story of my life... Instead, I asked:

"When are you leaving?"

Bella abruptly dropped her hand, with which she used to prop up her cheek, and buried her head against the table.

"I do not even know now" she mumbled, her voice was muffled. "I do not know a damn thing now..."

"But you will... I mean – it's Forks. You will go mad if you stay here longer than a couple of days" I have tried to defuse the situation. And I succeeded – the girl giggled.

"I just need to sleep and think about everything" she got up from her chair. "I've been stuck here for long enough, I am just distracting you."

"Let me drive you" I just noticed her outfit. Hmmmm... Bald! It is better that she would not wander at night in the town looking like this. Even here in Forks.

"No, I'll walk" she refused.

"Bella, please, in this outfit..."

"Fuck, Cullen, this outfit is fine!" Bella raised her voice.

"But it's Forks, and if I did not know you, then maybe I would have thought that you were..."

"Shut up! Do not even dare!" Again she poked her finger at me.

"Okay, okay, I just want that you would get to the motel without accident' I gave up. Bella narrowed her eyes and smiled wickedly.

"Is King Kong still here?"

"His name is Emmett. I think he is waiting there for you to apologize" I suggested.

"Great, I want him to drive me!"

I just rolled my eyes. We went to the waiting room. McCarthy was still looming out there.

"Em, would you take Bella to the Webbers?" I said to him, stopping the flow of mockeries from the pseudo-hooker saved by me.

"No problem, chief. Miss Swan, please accept my apologies" he rushed past us like a whirlwind, went out the door, got into his car and started the engine.

I opened the precinct door to Bella, letting her go out first. She hesitated, and grabbed a cigarette out of the bag.

"Uh, Bella, Emmett does not smoke, may be you can..." I was going to offer her to smoke outside, knowing that McCarthy can not stand when somebody is smoking in his car, but she interrupted me.

"So much the worse for him" she opened the door, and got into the front seat. There were no emotions whatsoever reflected on Emmett's stone face. "Thank you for everything, Chief. Later."

She gestured "bye" with two fingers and bared her teeth, holding a cigarette in her mouth. I laughed, waving after departing car.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**BPOV **

I came into my room, after smoking heavily in the Pinkerton halfwits' car, the shock has passed. Thoughts came into my head to the council of my subconsciousness. The following points kept running through my head.

_- These conditions of me staying here are just stupid. _

_- You're fucking benefactor, Mr. Smith!_

_- It is foolish to refuse._

_- I will not allow James getting my father's house!_

Having cleared my mind, I passed out. In the morning the reality has overtaken me, and I decided to share the joyful news with my mother. Renee was stammering, she was trying to link words into a coherent, intelligible sentence, but in the end took the time out to consult with Phil. Why? I already knew what my stepfather would tell her. Real estate is very important in this life, so I should not let the opportunity slip. This is the capital which will give me good material opportunity for the future. And fuck me, if it is wrong! I gotta speak with an attorney to digest all those thoughts with a fresh mind. I dialed the Jonathan Wright's number and agreed on the meeting. We met for lunch at his office in Port Angeles. Mr. Wright patiently and clearly explained to me all the nuances. It turns out, Smith left me a decent amount of money. If I do not ponce it would be enough for me to live off that money for five months and maybe even for six. I have to go back to the house every night. But also I have ten nights in my possession that I can use as a holiday. All together or separately « it does not matter. But no more than ten. "This is in case you want to go to relax or to visit your relatives," « Wright explained to me. How cute, I am going to burst into tears right now! When I asked how my stay in the house would be tracked, Wright just smiled. "I am not authorized to initiate you into these subtleties. I can only say that your personal life will remain private. Do not worry about it." I nodded. The conversation was over. Attorney warned that I had four weeks to enter the house if I agree with the terms and conditions. After taking a breath, I brought forward a preliminary agreement. Jonathan shook my hand and expressed his best wishes. We agreed that I would come to visit him on my way to Forks, once I would settle all my affairs in Los Angeles. No more than two weeks. God, am I really moving?!

The call from my mother caught me when I was collecting a few things. As I anticipated, she had talked with Phil and decided that they should persuade me to get the house by any means necessary. I briefly outlined my conversation with the attorney and announced my agreement. My mother did not think of anything better than to cry... "Baby, I'm so glad. This house... Charlie... He would be happy... It's great that you decided to..." I quickly turned the conversation around, not wanting to upset Renee with my cynical attitude. Let her just be happy for me... « Yes, Mom... So, I do love you too. Bye.

I hung up the phone and collapsed on the bed. I knew that I could not refuse from getting the house. Well, that's it. Get your ass up, Swan, and pack your stuff up.

Having paid at the reception deck, I threw the suitcase in the trunk and started the engine, when suddenly my cell phone went off.

"Ms. Swan, good day, it's Heidi Collins. Yes, I'm calling in regards of the job interview," sang a melodious female handset human resources manager voice.

"Yes, Mrs. Collins, I remember you," I felt a pang in my chest. A month ago I decided to change the scope of my activities: after being the sales manager for a long time I wanted to become the buyer. Multibrand boutique of clothes was just in need of a buyer, and I applied for this position. I even held two rounds of interviews.

"I'm calling because I would like to invite you to meet with the CEO. We are very interested in your candidacy," she told me.

"Oh..." I clenched my teeth. What the hell? Why do they want me at the most inopportune moment? "It's very flattering, but I'm afraid I can not... I'm leaving L.A. for a year, Mrs. Collins. Family circumstances, you know."

On the other end of the phone line the manager was silent for a minute. Well, really, what kind of an idiot refuses such a posh position in such a fancy store? Its ok Heidi, go ahead digest it, I'll wait.

"I'm very sorry, Miss Swan. You are truly the best candidate for this position. If you change your mind during a month, please let me know. I wish you all the best."

"Goodbye..." I mumbled and get in the car, dialing number of my personal emergency service.

"Rose, hey!"

"Oh, Swan, hi, what's up?" Rosalie Hale loved talking briefly and get straight to the point, and she used a lot of interjections. I missed her.

"I will be over in a few hours. I need to get drunk and dance to death," I submitted my request for a party.

"No problem, baby, I am waiting for you! I'm off to get shoes. Drive carefully."

"Okay, I'll see you soon."

I smiled and started the engine.

Two weeks later, after settling the case and packing things up, I crossed the threshold of my home with my feet almost giving way. Jonathan handed me the keys, which were now holding my pocket down. Having opened the door, I walked into the living room. Everything here was the way it was before... As if there were no these ten years. Apparently, someone had cleaned the house at the request of Smith's Sr. I threw my bag on the floor, fell down on my knees and allowed myself crying. Exactly ten minutes of weakness. Then, having raised my ass off the floor and wiped the tears off, I began dragging my stuff out of the car.

The next day was spent on cleaning and sorting out my stuff from the bags. After feeling frazzled to the limit, I finally fell into a deep sleep right in the living room on a couch. After waking up in the morning, I took a shower, made breakfast and... got confused. What am I doing here? I can go to Billy's, but it is just for a few hours. And then what? Should I look for a job? Doing what? Pretty much, Smith's scholarships and my savings are enough for the whole year, and then selling the house will bring enough profit even to cover all my expenses here... But... But! I will rot here, living within the four walls and watching TV. Hmm... What if?.. I grabbed the phone and dialed the number, which I remembered by heart. Answering machine. Awesome, I'll leave a message.

**EPOV **

I returned to my office in the warm company of a cheeseburger and pretty decent latte from the diner house on the corner. The flashing light on the working telephone signaled that someone has left a message. Parents and friends usually called me on my cell, so it is definitely not my mother asking me if I wore a cap.

Having democratically arranged my ass on the table, I pressed the flashing button, getting ready to an ordinary job-related call.

"Hey, chief, what's up? This is Bella Swan," I choked on the hot coffee. "I'm just calling to say thanks for saving my ass half-covered with shorts from the night in jail. I..." She hesitated for a second. "In short, I am in Forks and I would like to invite you to dinner at my expense as a token of appreciation. My number is…" I rushed to get the pen and scribbled her digits on a notepad. "Call me. And say hello to Hulk."

I laughed, and began eating my own lunch. Munching and sipping, I was trying to understand why the hell everything inside of me flipped. You are agitated, Cullen. What the hell is she doing here, in this town? Well, you thought about her right?.. Well... Well, I have. Yes. I also thought about Emmett. What's so weird about this? Yes, but you were not imagining Emmett naked, standing on his knees with your dick in his mouth. It is what it is... I want her. As soon as I saw her « I wanted her. Oh, really will I have sex tonight? She is, perhaps, just passing through again. We will just have dinner and have sex. And then she will leave. Nobody finds out anything.

Damn, I think about her so... so... I don't know it is… as if I want to use her for my own ends... It's wrong, ugly. Fuck, what else do I have to think about the girl after two months of abstinence? My trips to Port Angeles after the story with Leah were the only way to entertain my penis. Random girl at the bar, looking for adventure or bluntly for a one night stand, brightened up my leisure time. Nobody knew in that town that I was the police chief, bearing a heavy burden of "you must be an example for everybody." However, after Kate, with whom I was in light, but regular sexual relationships, I was just too lazy to drag myself there and get something that I was getting once a week for a few months in a row, just simply calling her. But... Kate now has a boyfriend who was closer, and with serious intentions, and not just with the "let's have sex on Saturday" mood. Yes, I screwed up with a regular sex, and put myself on a diet. A special diet.

Unfortunately, my laziness did not eliminate my physiology. Bella Swan with her every appearance made me think that I am a man, not just the cop. Well, maybe she is interested in me if she called and invited me for dinner. We'll see, but I definitely want her. Even more than just having sex. I want her! I felt my dick was getting up, right after I started thinking about her. Fuck! I am at work. Have you lost your mind, Cullen? You're thirty-two, not seventeen. Ok, that's enough fooling around. I'm calling her!

She picked up the phone almost instantly.

"Hello."

"Hey, beautiful. So the woman of the streets is back to Forks again?" I quipped.

"You think yourself clever? Huh, Cullen?" apparently, it had to sound angry, but I felt that Bella was smiling at me over the phone. "I am here now on kinda permanent residence, kid."

My erection has instantly gone.

"Tomorrow it is going to snow with crap! Are you crazy, Swan?" I even yelled at her. Buzzkiller!

She laughed.

"I think my brains were still in my ass when you slammed it with the door," she giggled.

"Seriously, Bella. No kidding, why?" I continued digging.

"No kidding, Edward. So, do you accept my invitation?" Do I accept? She asks... I am a well-brought-up, nice boy.

"How can I refuse a lady?"

"You can not!" Bella summed up. "Ok, we only have to arrange the time."

"We can do it even today," I said cheerfully. "What about the place?.."

" You should not worry about it" bad girl cut me off again.

"So you will you tell what is your charming ass doing in Forks?" I tried to come up with a snappy comeback.

"If you promise to be a good boy..."

"And what if I'm a bad guy?" I welcomed erection again.

"Then I will show you..."

Damn... Fuck me... Why the hell did she come to my town?!

"Oh, tell me the time and place, baby."

"No, you better tell me from where and when I should pick up YOUR lovely as?" she sang in honeyed voice.

"From the precinct, at seven, good?"

"Excellent! Just wait for me outside, I do not want to run into your Baskervilles Dog."

We exchanged our cell phone numbers at the end of conversation. I looked at my watch. It will be a long day, chief...

Exactly at seven Bella called me on cell. I look out of the window and spotted a parked Ford, turned off the computer, put on my coat and left the precinct.

"Well, hello" I stumbled into the seat next to a beautiful driver.

"Hey, sweetie," she smiled, turning the ignition key.

"Sweetie? You sure you are not drunk? Or I'll be obliged to arrest you," I reached in my pocket, as if I wanted to take out the handcuffs.

"In your dreams!" this little bitch meowed and added mockingly "...sweetie".

I chuckled and buckled up. I expected that we would go to Billy's, but Bella drove the car away from the city.

"Is it a kidnapping? Where are we going?" I turned my head, trying to portray the panic.

"In your dreams," she said again. "I just want to eat normal pasta. There is no need to despair."

"Oh, is it a private airfield and are we flying to Italy?" I was lost in dreams. "Only I got to work tomorrow..."

"Cullen, you're too funny for the cop" Bella smiled. "Only Port Angeles. The table at the "Bella Italia".

"My own personal Bella and Italy. Wonderful."

She, of course, once again was mocking me. We exchanged funny jokes all the way. Harbor Angels lights loomed ahead, and the restaurant met us with a warm and cozy smell of pizza. The waitress led us to a table. My skin was itching from her lustful gaze. Excuse me, miss, I'm with a lady today. And, I am a well brought up boy - I helped Bella to her chair. I have to be good. If I'm bad, she will show me... And I will drag her into the bed, telling her to go to hell.

We ordered two pastas and two Cokes. I just opened my mouth to start a conversation, and the waitress was already galloping to us with ordered drinks. I nodded slightly to her in gratitude, for fear that uttered "thank you" threatened me with public rape. The girl broke into a smile, and biting and licking lips, assured us that she would come on first demand. I ignored her unequivocal signs and Bella snorted.

"Aren't you ashamed?" she chided me.

"What did I do?" I drowned a virgin innocent look in the glass and sipped.

"I bet twenty, she will blow you in the restroom..."

I choked on my Coke.

"I have no idea how you're going to check it," I tried to get rid of the bet with this rude.

"Well, I would believe your officer's word of honor," Bella, in turn, made an innocent face.

"What? Wouldn't you like to watch?" It's your turn to choke on something, baby.

"Ewwww, Cullen, you better invite me to participate in this activity," she snorted in response.

"Give me one good reason, why not? I am not talking about your participation..."

"I do not like to share," she said, and proudly turned her nose up.

She got me again... Bitch. Break. I pulled out a pack of cigarettes, prudently putting it in the middle of the table. And lit one up. Bella did not follow my example.

"Help yourself," I offered her.

"Nah, I only smoke when I'm nervous or when I'm drunk," Bella explained.

I said to myself that she was nervous with me. It's just as if I had sat on a hedgehog.

"If you want, you can order a drink, I'll drive you home."

"Oh, no. I had enough, this single time when you delivered my shitfaced body home. I'm never doing it again…..ever," she giggled.

"Hmm... Perhaps, me too..."

The waitress brought us the food we ordered. The waitress "accidentally" touched my shoulder with her gorgeous breasts when she was putting pasta in front of me. Bella pursed her lips so they wouldn't betray her with a grin.

"Do not even start," I snarled, and immediately decided to change the subject. "I'm still waiting for an explanation. What are you doing in Forks?"

"Ok, what do you prefer? A long version of events? Or a funny one?"

"The short and sad one," I answered.

Bella was in no hurry to begin. She was turning pasta noodles on the fork absently.

"Bella!" I called her name.

"Yes, yes... I'm here. Just thinking that it is all so absurd. Did you know that Smith Senior got Charlie's house after his death, after he made public all his IOUs?" I nodded. Lousy story. "So, he bequeathed it to me."

"Seriously? Congratulations... in the sense of... Well... it kinda honorable, you know," I have tried to explain.

"No, Edward, in fact, not very. I have to live in this house for a year, so that it officially became mine, otherwise..." She swallowed, "...James Jr. will get it."

"This is bullshit..."

**BPOV **

"This is bullshit," said Cullen.

"That's right, but it would be foolish to refuse. And..." I got some air into my chest and blurted out. "I would never let this bastard get my father's house!"

Cullen looked puzzled.

"Are you talking about James? I thought you were old friends."

"More like old enemies. No matter how big it sounds" I sent the fork in my mouth, chewed something automatically, though because of it I lost my appetite completely. "In short, now I'm stuck in this hole for a year. Life sucks."

"And you abandoned your home, work... boyfriend?.." What boyfriend? Is he testing the waters or something?

"I do not have a boyfriend, as for the work, it was a period when I needed to change places, so I'm not really worried about that."

"Where did you live? With your mother?" Fucking interrogation continues.

"No. In L.A."

"Oh..."

"Yes, I am a socialite bitch" I grunted and reached for his cigarettes. You made me, again, asshole.

"When did I have time to make you nervous?" Cullen made a puppy dog face.

"Do not flatter yourself. I just blew my chance to get a decent job, I hate Forks and..." I almost blurted out that I hated James more than all of the above-mentioned put together.

"You can no longer go on, I got it" Edward nodded understandingly.

"I will not, because now it's your turn to confess."

"What is there to confess?" Are you making a fool out of yourself or something?

"The same things. What the hell are you doing in this freaking country side with such a wealth of knowledge, differences and charm?"

"You find me charming?"

"Cullen!"

"Okay, okay. It's all Jasper. We went to the same academy, and I somehow got really drunk and told that I dreamt of growing old as police chief in some small town. We went apart. I lived in Chicago, and he was sent to Forks. I... When your father died..." Cullen hesitated, kind of like not wanting to hurt me. I had to come to help, to show that I was good for this job.

"Yes, I know ... Everybody was fighting there and decided to invite the third party..." I watched the cigarette. It seems that not only I was nervous. "I never thought it would be someone like you..."

We were silent, and began eating. I was bursting with curiosity. Having chewed, I continued my questioning.

"So, what were you doing in Chicago? Working as a janitor?"

"I was a deputy district attorney" said Edward with a "Yes, well, nothing-special" tone. I choked on my coke.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No."

"Wow. You gave up on the Prosecutor's Office in the city and came here to graze the cows at the ranch... Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

"I also left my wife and the prospect of taking a seat of my boss in a couple of years. He was going to retire. But I've always dreamed of..."

"A wife?! Are you married?!" Everything turned over inside of me.

"I am divorced. She did not want to go here with me, to give up on her career." Edward ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, and inhaled deeply.

Crazy.

"Do you think this is selfish? She thought so, too," he said quickly, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Jazz called and said that I could claim to be the chief... I just... Just wanted to... Damn, oh well, forget it..."

"No, no. Go on."

"It's true, Bella, it is my fucking dream. A quiet town. Routine reporting. On weekends I take children in my working car with flashing lights on a picnic to the ocean side," he caught my stunned look. "Oh, so you think I am the old fashioned one here?"

"Well... even the dinosaurs more modern than you..."

"I'll take it as the compliment."

"Don't," I threw a fork and asked another question. "And where is all this? Family, children..."

Edward was in no hurry to answer.

"Well, it turns out that you can not get everything at once, baby. I have a job, and Forks. This is enough for me at this moment."

"Listen, something doesn't add up here. There are a whole lot of single girls here in Forks, which would have been happy to have children with such a fuckable hubby-cop. And you're hanging out at Billy's all the time. What? Rural girls are not good enough for you?" I started up.

"I was too carried away by them in the first six months. Now they scare schoolgirls with my name..." He smiled sadly. "It turns out that women in small towns are very fond of discussing the newcomers' dicks."

I grimaced. Who else knows better than me all the beauty of all those gossips? Poor Cullen. But...

"How many?" A forehead question.

"Huh?"

"How many did you fuck to pass for Casanova?"

"Four." Edward noticed my incredulously upturned eyebrows. "I swear!"

"In six months? This means one person per an average of six weeks... Well, you know, that makes sense."

"No, there's no more sense in it. I gave up on dating," he cut me off.

I looked down. In principle, our lovely dinner can hardly be called a date. But technically...

"Bella..." I looked up. "Do you think... You invited me..."

"Oh, Cullen, do not panic. Just... a date, you know dates can in fact be friendly too?" I came up with a good response.

"Friends, huh?" He gave me perky smile. Gosh, seventeen year old boys smile this way. "It sounds great."

"You have no choice, handsome. I'm stuck here, and I like you. So I declare with full responsibility: I'm gonna be on your back forever. We are going to drink booze at Billy's, go to the ocean side and watch football on Sundays."

"Sounds awesome, Swan," - he stretched out his fist, I cracked with mine. "So, friends, huh?"

I nodded. As simple as that. Now I will definitely not be bored. Cullen though is an asshole, but he's a decent guy. He could not blow me off me after such a nice conversation. It seems I'm not going to die of boredom. I just wish he wasn't that handsome... Because these damn eyes, porn jaw and hair with the "I just had sex" styling are sending too obvious signals to my groin. Okay, I will find ways how to deal with me. I guess... We finished dinner at the cheerful note. I've wanted to ask for the check, when Edward blurted out in one breath:

"Bella, if we're friends, then can I ask a favor?" He was looking at me with his green lasers, covering my hand sympathetically with his own. "Please..."

"Oh... Well... yes" he will offer me to have sex. As a friend. I'm sure! I was prepared to roast him until we get in the car. And then I would shove my tongue in his mouth so it would touch the tonsils. God ... I want his mouth ... The blood rushed to my face, I felt hot... very hot.

"Let's take a walk along the promenade. I have not walked there a hundred years with such a beautiful girl."

I opened my mouth. Then I shut it. And then opened it once again. Fucking buzzkill!

"Yeah, sure, no problem" I said.

"Damn..." Edward growled. The waitress was hurrying to us. "Let's get out of here."

He threw a few bills on the table.

"Hey!" A pathetic attempt to come off as an emancipated female.

"Not now, Swan." Edward pulled me by the hand and led me outside.

We were getting dressed literally on the run. I was giggling like a fool. Edward was muttering something about a very good service. Definitely, I like to be friends with Cullen. And definitely, I want him.

**_First of all we all know that the characters belong to Stephenie. _**

**_Secondly, it's our first story, which was many times awarded in Russian, has been translated into English, thus we desperately looking forward to your attention and avaluation of the story in English. It's our first experience. Please, leave your comments, good or bad, we'll cope. _**

**_Thirdly, the story is written and translated (4 chapters left just for translation), I can post a new chapter everyday, as you wish. What is your wish?_**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**EPOV **

Bella stared at me as I stood near the driver's door and reached for the keys.

"Do you know how to get to the promenade?" I asked.

"No, but you just might show it to me" she was being stubborn, twisting the keys on her finger.

"Swan, I am a crappy guide. And you jerk the car on the roads in a strange city," I really wanted to say that she was as good as a driver as I was as good as a compass, but restrained myself. I am a well brought up guy, and the girl loves playing the independence game.

"Okay, playboy, you drive," she put the keys in my hand.

I again showed gallantry, having taking her on the other side of the car, opened the door of the passenger seat. Bella grunted, rolled her eyes.

"Enough babysitting me, Cullen," she muttered, as soon as I started the engine.

"Swan, look I haven't been on a date for half a year now. Let me enjoy," I said calmly.

We get there pretty quickly. While Bella was fumbling with the seatbelt, I pulled the scarf off my neck, and wind it around her neck. I had to pull her towards me, and for a moment our lips were close, very close. I had an acute need. Damn... two centimeters, Cullen. Two centimeters more - and these lips are yours. I met with warm hazel eyes which reflected suffering so similar to mine.

"It's windy near the water..." I mumbled, swallowing convulsively, and pulling away from her.

"Yeah..." Bella jumped out of the car, like a jack-the-box.

Having locked the car with a key remote, I approached her, and stuck out my hand bent at the elbow.

"May I invite you to an evening promenade, Miss," I was messing around.

"Of course you may, Mister" she took my arm and we started walking.

I was really enjoying the walk and the proximity of Bella. No, I didn't miss dating. I just wanted to stay with her longer. There, in a restaurant, I was hoping that she asked me out not only out of gratitude. Yes, not only. She needs a friend with whom she can brighten up the coming year in light conversation. Fuck. And why the hell I can not treat her the same way? We'll have to stick all of our own reflections and needs up in the ass and be happy with drinking parties and other garbage.

"Did you hear that? It sounds like a conversation is near by," Bella muttered, having pulled me out of the imaginations of the nearest hotel, and her feet, thrown up on my shoulders.

I smiled. "Well it looks like you love working with you tongue."

"Asshole," she coughed into her fist.

"I heard it."

"So that is why I said out loud," what a cheeky little bitch! "Jacob Black..."

"Is he an asshole?" I said, not understanding why she voiced his name.

"How do I know? Why did you then get in fight with him at the bar?" Bella asked.

"For lots of reasons," I did not want to discuss it, though it was stupid to avoid the conversation. It's better if I'll satisfy her curiosity myself.

"Has he decided to save my chastity from the depraved chief?" this little bitch giggled.

"Since you are two old friends, I think Jake included you to the pack automatically, - stupid, but it's true. "

"What pack are you talking about?" Bella asked, staring at me.

"The guys from the reservation. They are about your age. They hang out together. These boys imagine themselves to be some kind of knights of cloak and dagger. Romantics." I continued making fun.

"And what about you? Are you some kind of a dragon, who regularly calls for a virgin? Edward, this is nonsense. Just think, you banged four little girls, well, they gossiped about it. Is this a reason to make a monster from the police chief?" She got worked up. And my dick in my pants even became slightly hard from the violent tone, that she was indignant in my defense. Is there anything that does not turn me on in this girl?

"There was a reason, Bella. And there is, and will be. For them, anyway..." I stopped short. Damn, stop me. Tell me that you do not care. Pause for half a minute...

"Do not tell me if you do not want," she was walking, looking at her boots.

Way to go, baby. Now I simply must tell you so that this Jake kid would not be the first one to enlighten you.

"I don't give a shit about your faults, Cullen. I'm not afraid of you." Bella once again lifted her nose and winked at me insolently. "But I am torn apart with curiosity. Tell me, what have you done? Have you thrown up under the table at "Billy's"?"

"I wish!" I guffawed.

Well how would I tell her this? Where to start?

"Edward," Bella gently shoved me with her hip, while she almost lost her balance. "Go on!"

"Leah Clearwater," I spat out the name of the little bitch. "They think I fucked their little innocent Lea."

"Did you?.."

"No!" I snapped out. "Bella, she was seventeen. I can be perverted asshole, but sleeping with a schoolgirl..."

"Cullen, I just asked. "

"I'm sorry. I am just too easy lose my control over this topic," I reached into my pocket for a cigarette, had to let go of Bella's hand, to light up a cigarette.

I dropped my palm down and trembled girl's fingers squeezed it.

"If it were a real date..." I began.

"You would have invited me to the hotel?" Bella laughed.

Oh, baby, I would bang you even on the way there, right in the car...

"I would have done this way," I stopped and raised her hand to my face, gently kissing her knuckles.

God, she blushed and lowered her eyes. I embarrassed her. Ahhh! Cullen, way to go, handsome!

"So, what's with that Leah girl?" Bella dragged me on, and tripped over. I was elated.

"Emmett and I, we had this self-defense class in their school. She probably fell for me. And, of course, has collected all the rumors about my tumultuous personal life. So, the class was over, and a week later she came over in my office wearing a woollen cloak with nothing under it and asked... Well, you know..."

"My God..." Bella hiccupped.

"Yeah, it was pretty surprising when she said: "Fuck me right on the table, Edward." I remembered her words forever."

"And what did you do?" Bella's face fell. But my face in that day fell even more.

"Well, I took her home, and handed her to her parents. But this bitch has convinced them, and then the whole city, that she lost her virginity to me. On the hood of the car, near the ocean. I say, the Indians all such romantics," a nervous giggle escaped from my throat.

Bella was shaking her head as if trying to grasp all this surrealism.

"But... but the guys in the precinct have seen that she came over herself."

"So? Their version seemed boring, and I was too right in it. Yes, and Leah did a good job pretending to be a good girl. Then she told everyone that I was at least a great stud, but a complete asshole. That I promised the poor girl to love her to the grave, and the wedding. In short, now the whole town thinks I'm a bastard, a pervert. As for Jacob's pack - it's just the front of resistance and defense of the oppressed."

"That is why he was this way back there at the bar... Oh my god..." she stopped again and looked up at me. "Edward, I'm sorry, I was talking crap..."

"Oh, come on. It was even fun. Especially when I returned." I laughed, recalling the discouraged face of a wolf cub. "The most lousy thing is that he wants to piss me off way more than to protect his own kind. For him, I will always be a lousy upstart who daily insults chief Swan's chair with his butt."

"It is not true!" Bella said earnestly, having stopped again. "Why don't you just give up on all this crap?"

I just threw up my hands. I had no answer except for "I like my life in Forks, despite all that has happened." She gently released her hand, walked up to the railing, hugging herself. The sun had set, and the wind from the river was very cold. She believed me. She believed, and was angry. Even from her neck now came a peculiar anger and touching gravity. I stood behind her, resting my hands on the railing.

"If it were a real date..." I whispered to her crown. Shit, now I know the smell of her hair. This is bad.

"If..." in a barely audible voice she whispered.

We stood in silence, gazing at the sparkling lights of the city at night, which were reflected in the water. If...

"Everybody thinks my dad is a hero, huh?" suddenly Bella interrupted the cozy silence.

"He is a hero," yes, I'll always be in the shadow of Charlie Swan. I got used to this, both with my tarnished reputation and a Jake's clique.

"Edward, he died as a hero. But in real life my father was the same person. He made mistakes, believe me. People see only what they want to see, they see only things that they admit the extent of their depravity. Do not let it affect you."

"Thank you," I brought my arms and hugged her. "What about you, Swan? Why does everyone think that you left your father?"

"Because it is so," she said.

"Why, Bella?" I dug deeper.

"I just could no longer stand James. Dad thought I was bored with him, so that's why he would drag me to the Smiths. Bugs under the T-shirt, honey in the hair - it is certainly fun, but over the years James Jr. fantasy became more and more original," she took a deep breath. I hugged her tight.

"Didn't you tell your father about that?"

"If I went squealing to my daddy, baby, I would tell everybody that you sucked me off for ten bucks" she imitated a greasy male voice.

"Asswipe..." I could not keep the evil roar.

"I had to blame everything on the transitional age and threw a fit." Bella smiled ruefully. "And become the selfish bitch who does not want to visit my father at all."

We were silent again. The two loners met. She was called a bitch, I was called a freak. Victims of public opinion. A minus times a minus equals a plus. And I felt warmly welcomed next to Bella.

"Edward, if it were a real date..." she gently unclasped my hands, and turned around.

"The last hour, I would not have spent on an empty talk, - I would have kissed you, baby."

Bella looked at me so tenderly. I swear her eyes were asking, begging. I think she wanted to take back the words of friendship ... No, it is impossible. It's all too good to get lost in physics. I took a step back.

"It's time to go. It's late."

Bella confidently walked to the parking lot. I trailed behind, cursing myself to the full. No dating. Forget it. Do not even dream. Why did I talk so much? Now I'm getting only a role of a girlfriend for confessions. And what else I wanted? Oooh, I wanted! I wanted many things... A whole night will not be enough to show her... As for the stories, I've got enough of them for an erotic novel in five volumes.

I handed the keys to Bella. She just waved her hand at me.

"You drive."

We left the city quietly. I was still thinking about different stuff and pressing the gas pedal to the floor.

"Are you out of your mind?" suddenly yelled Bella. "Slow down!"

"What?" I was even scared from her cry, but pressed the brake pedal.

"One hundred and twenty miles an hour!" she panically looked out the window, but on both sides of the road stood a wall of dark wood, and we flew by so fast that it seemed a monolithic wall.

"Relax, Bella!" I rolled my eyes.

"Do you want us to get in a car crash?"

"Relax, all will be alright!"

"What's the hurry?" more calmly she asked.

The hurry is to bring you home and get rid of your blabber-mouth person. And also:

"I always drive this way!"

"Watch the road!"

"Bella, I never got into an accident, and never got even a ticket for speeding! I am a cop!" I boasted and knocked on my head. "I have a radar built-in here!"

"Very funny!"

"Relax," I said smiling, but the speedometer needle crept down. "Happy now?"

"Almost."

"I hate crawling like a snail!" I murmured.

We fell silent again. We drove into Forks, and I slowed down to snail speed. House of former chief grew too fast in front of me. Bella squirmed and made an angry face:

"And I was so hoping to see your den."

"One day you will" I smiled. "It's not far from here. Anyway, I wanted to walk."

"I see you like walking," smiled the girl.

As she fumbled with the belt, I jumped out of the car and opened the door.

"Oh, Cullen, you are gonna walk me to the door?" she giggled.

"I think that I won't be able to go to sleep, if you deprive me of this pleasure."

"Well, let's go..." she walked forward, swinging her hips. I was fascinated, staring at her ass. This fucking pendulum is just perfect. I swallowed hard, rubbing my sweaty palms on the pants. The pants were unfortunately mine. Bella took out the keys, and opened the door. I silently walked after her.

"I would suggest drinking, but it's too late..." she left the door ajar, as she was holding a door handle. Why I did go inside at all?

"If this were the real date, then the proposal to drink..."

"Would mean..." she has closed the door, leaning back on it.

"That you do not mind..." tricky game: continue the sentence.

"I do not mind..." Bella gasped with her eyes closed.

Is this an invitation? Before I continued rotating all sorts of stupid ideas in my head, the distance between us has disappeared, and my mouth covered her parted lips. The vacuum...

I was kissing her. Pressed her against the door. With just lips, not daring to deepen the kiss. I examined her mouth, twisting my lips on it. Nose touching her nose. I covered Bella's mouth with a quick touch. Her fingers were in my hair, her nails scratched the skin on the back of my head. I could not restrain myself and ran my tongue along her sweet bottom lip. Moan... Whose? She sucked my tongue into her mouth, sucking it, touching it with the tip of her tongue. That's it! She got me...

I squeezed her ass with my hands, pressing it firmly to my fucking boner. My tongue explored her hot mouth, caressing the palate, teeth, interwoven with her tongue. Hungrily, furiously demanding. Coming off for a split second for air and then pouncing back on her lips. She responded, quietly sobbing, pulling my hair. Sound! What sound? I was thrown away, when I realized that I was pressing Bella against the door, pushing her hips.

I ran my hand through her hair, and the other one I clenched in a fist. What the hell I am doing?

"Edward..." she squeaked.

I looked up from the floor. Closed my eyes. Get the hell out of here, Cullen. The time has come to valiantly escape from your own happiness.

I almost rudely pushed her away from the door, pulled the handle, saying only:

"I am sorry..."

And ran away from her delicious lips that permeated my mouth. Away from the elastic ass that still burns my hands. Away from her muffled groan that echoes in my ears. Away from her bewildered eyes that drilled right through my soul. Having reached the house in about ten minutes, I plunged into a cold shower. It helped. For five minutes. I fought with me until midnight. I have to deal with it. She will help me. Tomorrow we'll talk and all will be the same. We are friends. I calmed down. At least in my head. But my younger brother, as always, was at odds with reason. I had to reassure him with hands. Hating myself, I again thought of Bella. I thought what it would like if I banged her right at the door. How she would run with her fingers through my hair. How her moans would become louder, and turn into a scream. Come on, you beast, you wanted that. Oh, yes!..

The last time. This was the first and last time. I cannot. I have no right. But damn, I want Bella Swan.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**BPOV **

I woke up with the same crappy feeling of self worthlessness. Cullen heels, which were running away from my house, began sparkling again in my head. I watched him go, knowing that he could barely restrain from start running. What the hell? He started kissing me – and ran off himself, passing wind. I stayed in the company's of wet panties and wrenching memories of the globally protruding dignity with which Edward pressed me against the door.

Spreading the peanut butter on the toast, I was biting my lips again, remembering his kisses. At first, teasing, studying, and then furious, deep. The taste of his tongue, slightly bitter from tobacco, fresh scent of his skin with a touch of musk cologne aroma, tingling stubble on my cheeks and his hands tightly gripping my ass. Jerk Cullen though marked me with them and... made off.

I was furiously plunging my teeth into the toast, imagining that this was Edward's nose. To bite this asshole is less what I wanted now. My cell phone went off on the table Text message:

_We need to talk. _

_How about dinner at Billy's at two. E._

Hmm, how selflessly... You don't have enough balls to call, coward-chief.

_Ok, E. B._

I threw the phone on the table. I have completely lost my appetite. Tightening the hair in a ponytail, I ran across the face with a corrector to erase the traces of a lousy night, and added a little mascara and gloss. I gotta get out! I pulled the jacket from the hanger. Under it I discovered Edward's scarf which he never took back. Oh, what the hell, I tightened it around my neck and plunged again into the magical smell. Oh, well, what he wanted from the poor Forks' bitches? I myself was ready to run out into the street and yell at the top of my lungs how amazing was the smell of Edward Cullen. And we just had dinner and kissed. What will happen after sex? Stop! I gotta get out. Like now!

I wandered aimlessly through the streets of Forks. What he found in it? Lodges, cabins, snack bar, tire service, cabins, cottages, the bar... the Bar? I turns out I came to "Billy's". My legs ached from the long heels, and the wind was whipping in my face with cold slap hurting me. I need to buy a comfortable warm shoes and a cap to walk longer. Oh, Swan, are you crazy? Or have you picked up this stupid addiction taking walks from Edward? Yeah, right, airborne way. It's only noon – I'll wait for Cullen right in there. I pushed the door open. Contrary to my expectations in the bar a few tables were occupied. Apparently, it was a tradition here to have lunch, not to dine. Behind the counter there was... not Billy. A man stood with his back to me. Broad shoulders were tense, but he was just wiping the glasses. I firmly stood at the counter.

"Hey there" I blurted out, taking off my jacket to hang it on the back of the chair. The bartender turned around. "Sam?!"

"Bells?" his face was lit up with half-hearted smile.

Sam Uley was a mechanic at the Smiths. We often met in the kitchen, in unison praising Charles dinners. Until he was fired. Because of me. Because of James. God, he seems to become even bigger and taller. It seemed to me that this was what the standard action hero, defending the validity of the world with his fists, should look like.

Sam came out from behind the counter and simply hugged me. I blinked back unbidden tears, remembering the day when I saw him last time.

"Baby Bells" Sam lifted me up off the floor.

I laughed.

"Hey, put me down, put down immediatelly" I growled.

"I did not expect that I would see you so soon," he let me go and gently pulled me by the nose.

"Everybody knows, right?" I decided to test the waters.

"I do not know about everybody, but Charlotte told me everything. We are now almost neighbors," said the big guy.

"Well, of course!" I just shook my head. Forks.

I climbed on a chair, and Sam returned behind the bar counter. He looked at me with sweet eyes, just like Billy.

"Baby, you're so grown up now!" he said.

"For God's sake, Sam, do not start! Yeah, like you a hundred years old. How much older you are than me?"

"I'm thirty-two."

"Only some... eight years," I clapped my hands in front of his face to get rid of this touching expression. "Enough!"

"Ah, yes... I'm here. You want to eat?" he decided to act a little bit as the bartender.

"Just coffee now," I sang. "Do you work here?"

"Yeah, I am the main buyer. Today, Billy simply asked to fill in for him."

"I see. Cool..." but I thought that all pleasant topics for conversation were exhausted...

"Sam, we are almost out of beer, please write it down," from the kitchen came out beautiful girl, it seems she was a little older than me.

"Okay. Emily, this is Bella Swan" Sam nodded his head in my direction. "Bella, this is Emily, my wife."

"Wow!" the only thing that I was able to exhale. "Lucky you, Sammy."

Emily had a really stunning exotic looks of Native American. Exactly these girls, I always thought, should be close to the brutal heroes of action movies.

"I tell him the same thing every day." Emily held out her hand, which I gladly shook. "Very nice to meet you, Bella. Welcome home."

I twisted my lips into a sarcastic smile.

"We have this kick-ass soup for lunch today, I highly recommend." Emily tied an apron at the waist. The waitress. I know everybody here.

"Maybe later? I'm waiting for a... friend."

"What, Cullen?" Sam chuckled from behind the bar counter. "You better eat something, or you get wasted again."

"Oooooook," I drawled. "Billy or Jacob?" I decided to find out who snitched on me.

"First, Jake, and then Billy. Poor chief," Sam was frankly making fun of me.

I blushed.

"Do you date with him?" asked Emily.

"With whom?" I could hardly swallow my coffee.

"With Edward," she specified.

"No," I managed to say.

"Too bad. He is handsome."

"Hey!" Sam shouted irritably. "I'm actually right here."

"I heard that he was a perverted player," I came up with a phrase.

"It is not true, Bella" oddly enough, Sam stood up to defend Cullen. I stared at him in bewilderment. "My advice to you, don't listen to all this nonsense, Bells. They say a lot of stuff about you too. And only a little of it is truth."

That's how I was reprimanded for the first time in five years. The last time a similar tone I heard from my mother, who gave me a scolding for the money I spent on pricey shoes.

"Say the same thing to Jake," I jumped up in response.

"There is no point talking to him. Medical case," again butted in Emily. "He is crazy about Leah and believes everything that this lecherous bitch tells him."

I rolled my eyes again, but this time this was at her.

"The girl prefers mature men, she even hit on Sam. We've been already married back then – probably this is why she understood that she should not shoot the breeze about it..." Emily lifted her chin and went to bus the table.

"Yeah it is what it is, Bella" Sam wiggled his eyebrows.

"This is crazy," I could only mutter.

"Yeah, it is nuts," Sam nodded accordingly. "I can not imagine how Edward is standing all of this. However, the role of a hermit suits him."

I remembered yesterday's hermit's kisses and made a sarcastic grimace. I suddenly felt the urge to take this monk by the scruff, and fuck his brains out, to knock all this Forks crap out of him.

"Hey, Bells, are you okay? You are sure you are no sick?" Sam frowned at me.

"Yes, I'm fine..."

"You suddenly became all blushed. You sure you are not running temperature?"

I pressed my palms against the cheeks, pleading the blood to run away from my face. What's with me? In broad daylight and with witnesses I fantasize about sex therapy to a local police chief with a mixed reputation.

"Stop with this crap. There is simply hot in here, better pour some water in my glass..." And having thought, she added: "...with ice."

I was playing with the ice cubes in my glass when the door opened and with cheeky walk Edward entered. Ok, so... Now even the way he walks turns me on?

"Hey, long time here?" He leaned across the counter to shake Sam's hand.

"Yeah, she's been waiting for ages," the bartender chuckled.

"Shut up, Uley!" I barked.

Edward grinned odiously.

"So, I take it, you two know each other," Cullen continued smiling, taking off his coat.

"Wow, you are so quick-witted," I muttered, getting out of my chair. "What were you saying about the soup?"

"Do you want ice in it as well?" Sam continued making fun.

"Did I miss something?" Edward raised his eyebrows in bewilderment.

"It is Sam, who missed the lessons where they taught when it is the time to shut up and take the order" I walked towards to the table, again listening to the laughter in the back.

Creeps... I blurted out on a sofa in the corner. I liked this sofa in the first time: an intimate place. Edward sat down in front. Smirk on his face has gone, it was replaced by a completely impenetrable mine. Come on, let's play amnesia, Cullen. I know how to play this game.

"So, what's up?" I turned to him with the most innocent look.

"Not much, everything seems to be the same," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "How do you know Sam?"

"He worked at the Smiths," I said.

"I see..."

Emily was already hurrying up to us with a soup.

"Hey, chief, how are you?" she smiled, putting down the plate in front of Cullen.

"I'm fine, what's up with you? How's Corinne?"

"Oh, yesterday she once again brought a puppy home. This is the third one. One day these animals will eat me for lunch..." She wailed.

Edward laughed.

"I promise, when Corinne and I get married, we will take them all away to our place," he said.

"You yap, Cullen," Emily giggled. "Enjoy your food!"

She went away unable to hide a merry smile.

"Corinne?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's their daughter. She's so funny... I'll introduce you sometime."

"Right," I muttered and buried my face in a bowl.

We worked with our spoons in silence. Edward was tinkering in the lasagna, and I was in a salad. By the time Emily brought the coffee, I could barely keep myself from asking.

"You wanted to talk about something?"

"Uh... Yes," he took a sip from a cup and lit a cigarette.

Great! I watched him smoking, hiding his eyes from me.

"Edward!" I barked.

"Damn, Swan, I would like to apologize..." he finally looked at me.

"You can take your apologies and stick them up your ass," I again raised my voice. He apologizes for what? For a kiss or the fact that he ran off to catch up with the wind? In any case, he can stick it up his ass...

"Bella, damn, let me explain!" Cullen hissed.

"Go ahead, try," I hissed through clenched teeth.

He took a long drag on his cigarette for the last time, put it out and said:

"I want you."

"Excuse me?" Hallucinations... auditory hallucinations.

"I want you."

"Say it louder, I could not make out."

"May be I should stand up on a chair and notify all present?" Cullen snapped.

"It would be funny, babe..." I felt demonic grin spreading on my face. "My place or yours?"

"What?" Edward shook his head as if he caught hallucinations as well.

"Or are you busy? Then in the evening..." I made a depilation and put the most lewd lingerie in my imagination.

"Bella, were you listening to me yesterday?" he put a stop to my assumptions. "I'm not gonna sleep with you."

I felt like someone had just poured a bucket of ice-cold water over me. What the fuck? He catches some special thrill when he breaks me off?

"I hope you understand now that you are contradicting yourself?" I decided to resort to logic.

"I understand it perfectly. Therefore, I beg you to help..."

"Help? Damn, Cullen, come over to my place tonight after work. I promise I'll make you dinner and help you all the way," fuck, I am trying to convince him to fuck myself. This is a complete bullshit.

"Bella, please, I can not. We decided yesterday that we would be friends, so..."

"Fuck you," I got up and rushed to the bar counter, pulling on my jacket. "How much do I owe you?"

Sam raised his eyebrows, but did not have time to voice the amount of money because I threw twenty on the table top and rushed away from the humiliation, which soaked through me.

I almost ran down the street toward the house, cursing the fucking heels. Gray Volvo overtook me, pulled over a little further from the sidewalk. Edward got out of the car.

"Come on, let me drive you home," he grabbed me firmly by the elbow and almost pushed into the car.

"You are so pushy," I muttered under my breath.

Edward stepped on the gas pedal, without deigning me an answer. I stared out the window, biting my lip. In the tense, ringing silence, we drove up to my house. I reached for the handle to quickly get rid of Mr. I-want-you-but-won't-sleep-with-you.

"Bella, wait," he grabbed my arm, which immediately ached from the desire to squeeze my hand in his. I blinked, because the whole body suddenly stretched out to meet him. Stop!

"Do not get mad at me. I am so mad at myself for both of us..." He said quietly.

I was silently staring at my own knees.

"Bella, I like you," he covered my fingers from the top with his other hand, and began gently stroking them. "I feel good with you. For the first time in a long time so... I do not know... as if we knew each other all my life. I do not want to lose a friend for the sake of trite sex..."

"Trite sex my ass" I decided to take offense.

"Idiot," Edward hugged me. "Even for the sake of the most amazing sex ever... Look, I have too much respect for your father to let the good people of Forks hanging a title of another bitch of a fucked-up in the head chief of police. And anyway, you're here only for a year, so we better not start this..."

"I got it, ok. You don't have to continue," I buried my nose in his shirt. "Nice ride, by the way."

"Would you like to go for a drive with me over the weekend?" Cullen chuckled.

"I still want to live..."

"Coward."

"Go to hell."

"Ok, I gotta go."

I reluctantly peeled myself off of Edward.

"Go," I said quietly.

"Bella, one more thing," he waved a twenty dollar bill in front of my face, and then put it in my jacket pocket. "I am able to pay for the bar."

"Whatever," I snorted.

"I will call you," promised Cullen, starting the engine.

"Later," I got out of the car and trudged into the house to the accompaniment of squeaking tires.

Having plopped on the sofa in the living room, I buried my face in a scarf, which was again saturated with the Edward' smell. Friends... Well, ok, let's try it. But it will be damn hard for you to be my friend, Cullen. This I promise you.

* * *

**Heard almost nothing from you. Don't know if the story is good, tolerable or bad. Any hint is welcome!**


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